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posted by martyb on Friday June 05 2020, @10:48AM   Printer-friendly
from the lending-a-hand dept.

Robotic Third Arm Can Smash Through Walls

When we've written about adding useful robotic bits to people in the past, whether it's some extra fingers or an additional arm or two, the functionality has generally been limited to slow moving, lightweight tasks. Holding or carrying things. Stabilizing objects or the user. That sort of thing. But that's not what we want. What we want are wearable robotic arms that turn us into a superhero, like Marvel Comics' Doc Ock, who I'm just going to go ahead and assume is a good guy because those robotic arms strapped to his torso look awesome.

At ICRA this week, researchers from Université de Sherbrooke in Canada are finally giving us what we want, in the form of a waist-mounted remote controlled hydraulic arm that can help you with all kinds of tasks while also being able, should you feel the need, to smash through walls.

Supernumerary 3DOF Robotic Arm (2m50s video)

Multifunctional 3-DOF Wearable Supernumerary Robotic Arm Based on Magnetorheological Clutches


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  • (Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Friday June 05 2020, @10:56AM (7 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Friday June 05 2020, @10:56AM (#1003668)

    Working in a wood shop, having a 3rd hand could be a big help. However, when using machinery, having a second person around for safety backup (and to call 911 if needed) is still a good idea--the 3rd arm might lull someone into working solo when there really should be backup.

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  • (Score: 2) by takyon on Friday June 05 2020, @11:02AM (5 children)

    by takyon (881) <reversethis-{gro ... s} {ta} {noykat}> on Friday June 05 2020, @11:02AM (#1003673) Journal

    Maybe you could benefit from an exosuit that simply does not allow for your fingers to be chopped off. Or the woodworking equivalent of the Da Vinci surgical robot. You manipulate a multi-handed monstrosity remotely.

    --
    [SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
    • (Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Friday June 05 2020, @11:25AM (1 child)

      by Anonymous Coward on Friday June 05 2020, @11:25AM (#1003680)

      > exosuit ...

      Then I'd be relying on software to keep me safe. Who wrote that software??? If it was true "aerospace" quality, OK. Otherwise, no thanks.

      I'll stick to the machine safety strategy I learned from a master craftsman--very simple: When a noisy, vibrating machine is turned on it upsets normal safety routines and habits, as he put it, "You become another person." To counteract this potentially unsafe condition, go into forced slow motion. Only move (hands/arms/etc) after thinking about it and planning the movement, no habitual moves or quick motions.

      • (Score: 2) by Freeman on Friday June 05 2020, @02:21PM

        by Freeman (732) on Friday June 05 2020, @02:21PM (#1003751) Journal

        Exosuit/exoskeleton doesn't have to be run by software. It could all be mechanical.

        --
        Joshua 1:9 "Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee"
    • (Score: 2) by HiThere on Friday June 05 2020, @01:09PM (2 children)

      by HiThere (866) Subscriber Badge on Friday June 05 2020, @01:09PM (#1003702) Journal

      That requires environmental knowledge that is well beyond the state of the art. I'm even dubious about this 3rd arm because of the control problem. How do you keep it from smashing through a wall when you wanted to open the door?

      --
      Javascript is what you use to allow unknown third parties to run software you have no idea about on your computer.
  • (Score: 2) by Nuke on Saturday June 06 2020, @01:02PM

    by Nuke (3162) on Saturday June 06 2020, @01:02PM (#1004168)

    the 3rd arm might lull someone into working solo when there really should be backup.

    I wouldn't want to be the backup near a guy using one of these. Might get a clout round the head enough to smash through a wall.